I sent a newsletter yesterday that spotlighted my four favorite time capsule houses from 2011. Reader Joe took a look at the four homes, and mused:
OK, the problem is “How does one know when he has something worth preserving?” We all admire those select-few geniuses who kept their mid-century homes in mint condition, but I suspect most of us went with the flow and re-decorated as periods changed. I mean, we, too, had a 1964 home, but by the ’70s, we had to redecorate, because it seemed so gross. Fast forward 50 years, and I would give anything to have that house back in its original condition! (I’ll bet the original GE appliances would still be working!) Maybe it’s that we become smarter with age, or maybe we are just washed over by the wave of nostalgia. Memories do seem to become more important as we get older. Those of us in the retro movement certainly do have a keen appreciation and vivid memories of “back then,” but which of us was brilliant enough not to ever touch a thing and to preserve our mid-century glamour? I mean, pink? Turquoise? Who would have thought?
If we keep everything as it is in our homes today, is it possible that, in 50 years, people will be dying to have what we got? ….
I definitely have strong opinions on this question. But I’ll put the question out to readers first:
Mia Sorensen says
We just moved into a 1955 Cliff May home in Denver that was largely intact when we bought it. There were a few modifications done to the home in 1983 that at the time gave the home more space (3 bedroom converted to 2 to allow for larger rooms and more closet space). One of the corner ceiling to floor windows was removed and replaced with horrible brick veneer that was painted white. In the kitchen,the original metal cabinets were replaced with particleboard. Appliances were replaced and they work fine. Other than that, everything still feels correct about the home, including the “pink bathroom” that needs a tad bit of tile work. Our plan is to remove the chintzy, low quality things from the 1983 redo, partially knock down a dividing wall to open up the kitchen to the living and dining areas.
Rather than redesign the home to accommodate more space and deter from the design, we are adding a 12×16 guest house in the backyard that was designed from the original blueprints from Cliff May that a neighbor has graciously lent us.
We decided that any changes to the house would be energy efficient, give respect to the original design of the home and be done from recycled materials or new ones made in the USA.
It’s important that websites like this exist to answer these questions that people wanting to “restovate” have. Thanks Pam!
Joe says
We’ve been slowly replacing everything in our house with Vintage pieces, mostly furniture, but we did demo and install a Geneva kitchen with Flair stove.
I’m happy that I’ve slowly been able to eliminate just about every piece of Ikea from our house, save for a couple cantilevered shelves. The vintage build quality just so much better. Out sofa is pushing 45 years old, from my guess, and it’s just as comfy as day 1 I suspect.
As far as the kitchen goes, we ripped out a perfectly good, but boring contractor grade kitchen that was refaced at some point with white laminate. The only thing that is new is the fridge, because if a vintage refrigerator craps out, we’d lose all of that food, not something I want to risk. If the stove goes on the fritz, we always have a workaround.
I’m currently working on doing the bathroom, and this will entail putting a vintage vanity in there to again, replace a contractor grade one that was probably from Home Depot. We’re going to go with a dual-flush toilet because it’s the right thing to do. I don’t need to waste 2 gallons of water from a vintage toilet every time I take a pee-pee.
I just posted some pics of our livingroom to my flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joefultano/
Ian says
I have never used one,but you can get aftermarket dual flush toilet valves at Lowes or Home depot to retrofit in a standard toilet. IIRC,they are around $25 or so. Then you still have the option of a heavy duty flush that I’m not sure water saving toilets are known for. lol
Steven says
if the flapper and float work properly, to save on water consumption, and not have to replace anything, just fill up a 2 liter or gallon jug with water and submerge in the tank. this will displace some of the water, causing less waste per flush. if your toilet is over 10 years old, you are probably flushing 3 gallons per flush, if not 5! compared to 1.3-1.5 in a new toilet today.
vintigchik says
I heard a trick a long time ago but have yet to try it. Hey Pam, maybe this will be my “finish what you sarted” (or at least a get to it). Anyways, you take a 2 liter bottle and fill it with water or something to weigh it down, then set it inside of your toilet tank. Ta-da, an instant low flow toilet. The 2 liter keeps the tank from completely filling up so when you flush, it’s 2 liters less water wasted! If this works, maybe we can save a lot of vintage toilets from the landfill!
pam kueber says
that is a pretty lame ‘finish what you started’, vintigchik. but sometimes you gotta do do what you gotta do do
vintigchik says
Hey with 3 children and going to school full time while maitaining a 4.0, I think that’s about all I can handle right now.
vintigchik says
Oh, and last year I redid my 2 bathrooms during the summer.
pam kueber says
🙂
Shannon H. says
I’ve got a big plastic juice bottle filled with water and a smaller plastic juice bottle filled with crushed rock (the smaller bottle wasn’t heavy enough with just water to stay in place) in the toilet tank. I rinsed them out using bleach to make sure nothing grew in them first and put a drop of bleach in the water. They work well.
Joe says
Maybe I should have iterated a little more, we do not have a vintage toilet now, just a run of the mill mid-90s unit. our tub is white, so going to a vintage colored toilet wouldn’t really jive with the room anyhow.
kathyh says
Having grown up in the 60’s and 70’s – I feel that it was a magical time – mother’s stayed home, families had (1) car, ate dinner together every night. My family was lucky though, my father didn’t have to work 2 jobs so that my mother could stay at home. We’ve probably always been 2 job families – but back then the men worked both of them! I always want to laugh when i hear people complaining because they didn’t get to spend much time with daddy…my generation was lucky to see our fathers, but we didn’t complain – it was how life was and you were taught to be happy with what you had.
My best friend and i used to drive around in our town…we could tell you what make, model and year every car we saw was – just by looking at their headlights! We were taught individuality…these days we pray our children don’t stand out…that they stay out of the bullies way in school! What have we done to ourselves/children as a society? So so sad.
Anyway – sorry – got off track there — back when i was a kid it was more about what my parents LIKED, not what the latest trend was. My family bought one of the oldest homes in my town, this was in 1965, and that home had been built in the late 1800’s, it stil had the original wallpaper on the walls…so, i guess i’m saying they had rehabs even back then! Anyway, they set about making this house the showpiece it is today. People go crazy when they walk in my parents home. It is truly beautiful….guess what? no hardwood floors, no tile, no granite countertops, no stainless steel in the kitchen. the walls are WALLPAPERED….That old house is just filled with things my parents like. Some of those things are from the 60’s, some are from further back than that…but every piece is there because THEY like it…not bcause it’s the in thing…
I guess what i’m saying is keep it if you love it, get rid of it if you don’t, at the end of the day, your house has to be YOUR home. It has to come down to the things that make you happy to be home. My parents taught me to stand up and be who i am no matter what the current style is…and that is reflected in their home and mine. Cherish the old, take good care of it, but if it’s not you? Find a good home for it somewhere else!
vintigchik says
I agree with what you’re saying about keeping what you love and it’s ok to get rid of some things to a certain extent. I hate when people buy an old home and try to make it look new buy replacing everything in it with inferior stuff. If they want a new home, then go buy one. What a waste to throw out perfectly functional and still beautiful items. If we just leave some of these things alone, our landfills wouldn’t be as full and we would have a lower carbon footprint.
Elaine says
In addition to the wall project in the 1963 time capsule, we have kept the original tiles and fixtures in the bathroom, including the blue Cinderella tub which my husband hates, too bad! We are adding a shower to the half bath in our bedroom, keeping the original tile in the half bath, which actually looks like a 50s gas station rest room, in a good way. The shower is modern, but color coordinated with the blue and gray tile in the half bath. Husband loves the idea of the shower, hope it turns out perfect for him. We are keeping the fixtures in the baths, but changing the faucet in the kitchen for a stainless steel one that has a pullout and a longer reach to cover the three sinks. The appliances I only change when they quit working. They are not original, but are very good replacements.
In our 1964 colonial, over the 20+ years we’ve lived in it, we removed the carpeting in the family room to expose lovely dark stained oak flooring, changed the white formica countertop for sand Corian, changed the cupboard hardware and replaced the white formica backsplash with glass mosaic tiles. Kitchen flooring was redone in a vinyl tile with a rock print, needs work again. We have the original Jennair stovetop and fan and dishwasher, but have been through three fridges. We’ve kept the original yellow bath but tore out the white tile master bath and rebuilt it in 90s earth tones with sea glass shower. I love that! The white was bland and unappealing, plus to me, nothing special.
There is a rail between the dining and family room that we are keeping, though HGTV thinks the style is “dated.” It is a standard for the time period. The French doors have swung back into style big time, glad we kept those! The built in shelves with counter below in the family room are definitely staying, also the nice bay window in the living room, similar to one discussed here recently that was targeted for replacement to get air circulation.
Donna says
Since I bought my 1961 mid century modest home I have struggled with this…plastic pink/brown tiles in the bathroom had to go (falling off the wall/broken), groovy brown/gold sculptured carpet gone replaced by beautiful oak hardwood. I also replaced my appliances except my oven which the cabinets were built around and it would require big modification to get a new one, so I am trying to paint it. My newest struggle is to decide whether to paint the cabinets…they are solid wood but the years have not be nice to them. I have cleaned, stripped, sanded and restained and they still look blotchy and tired…I am fortunate to have some cool bathroom light fixtures and medicine cabinet (with glass sliding doors), nice windows, awesome quartz stone fireplace! The renovation continues but I take care to look into vintage replacements/style before anything changes!!
vintigchik says
There are companies that can come and “reglaze” you wood cabinets to make them look brand new. I’m not sure if it’s called reglazing, but I have seen before and after photos online and it looks like a good option as long as the cabinets have not been painted. You could search cabinet refinishing and that may come up as an option if you do some digging.
Kathy C says
Here’s what we kept in our home we purchased in August 2011:
Original wood and slate flooring, Original aluminum windows with crankout panels, Original paneling in den, Original recessed lights in all bedrooms, kitchen and basement;
Two Original bathrooms, yellow and green respectively, in good condition, tiles reset and regrouted to now be in top condition.
Original kitchen cabinets: filled, sanded and repainted to look clean and bright. I don’t need slow closing drawers or slide out shelves. I just wanted cabinets that were well made and those were already here, built in place by a craftsman. No particleboard or mdf in the entire kitchen! We even have a working Nutone direct vent fan with chrome trim.
I pretty much draw the line at appliances. That was the first thing replaced when we moved into our 1958 colonial brick ranch. Granted, they weren’t original appliances, but awful ones from the 80’s and early 90’s. I’ve never had the privilege of trying out a 50’s stove, but I prefer my appliances to use the least amount of energy possible. Same for HVAC stuff.
Some of the items in my new old home just have a heft to them, like you know that they are made of quality materials. Especially the bathrooms, windows and lighting. If you go to a big box store to buy replacement items and you feel the weight of them and see how they are made, it just seems to pale in comparison. The finishes just don’t seem to me like they would hold up for 50 years. That’s how I decide what to keep and what to change. Quality. Just because it is new does not mean it is better quality than something older. And often times, you can fix what you have for just a few dollars and spruce it up to be what you want right now. Paint works miracles and a magic eraser can clean off 50+ years of crud revealing something beautiful!
MCM is Grand says
Yes! Excellent points…my 1950s bathroom is so well-built, the tile work looks new (pink and blue)…why would I rip this out in favor of a plastic shower?
Paul Kaplan says
Good question that I’m currently struggling with- I’m purchasing a mid-century home in Palm Springs that I’m about to renovate- The question is, keep the original concrete block fireplace in the living? (that was tiled over with horrible porcelain tile) or demo it to open up the room to the amazing mountain views beyond? Currently the room is a dead end darkbox, with very little architectural detail- frankly, as is I doubt I’ll want to spend much time in there. Ripping out the fireplace and replacing it with a slider and clerestory windows, opens up the space, making it light, bright and inviting. I can then imagine spending hours in this room, enjoying the amazing view. I tend to be a purist when it comes to historic preservation- but does practicality win out?
Elaine says
I hear you about the dark box room. We had that problem in our 1963 time capsule, and we took down most of the wall between the kitchen and living room to open it up. It is a huge improvement. If there is a way to preserve the mood of the fireplace and still open up the space, that would be ideal.
Elaine says
We were able to move a bar from the kitchen to fill the space, and the glass shelves above the bar, plus we used the paneling from the wall on the back of the bar, so the mood of the original living room was preserved.
vintigchik says
I feel that as long as the home was not created/designed by a renouned architect it is alright to change some things. However, I feel they should be in keeping with the feel of the home and the era in which it was constructed. If I were going to stay in my 1968 split level forever, I would totally tear down the walls of the kitchen and open up the entire kitchen/dining/living areas. But, my kitchen is the victim of a horrible “redo”. But since we plan on moving, some paint sounds pretty good, too.
Ann says
If it is one wall, I would say go for it. I’m a purist too, but you can’t live in a museum. If you can keep the remodel period appropriate, then I think it is win/win.
Brini says
Why not remove the cinderblock and replace it with a conical tin fireplace? It’s very period, could add a pop of color and would be easy to see around to the mountain view. They can be found somewhat reasonably on Craigslist occasionally.
BayBPrinsez says
Yes, that’s the conundrum! Sounds as though your home would be vastly improved by doing what you suggest… We live in our period homes, but they are not museums and don’t think we should treat them as such. I would suggest documenting existing, and going for it! Think we should all keep light fixtures, etc. if we replace. WISH that previous owners of this house had just put the fixtures they replaced in the basement!
Olivia says
I think the obvious starting point is quality and condition. Especially important in today’s consumer society, we need to ask ourselves if we really need the new fridge with all the bells and whistles or do we just want it? If it’s a matter of just not liking a certain feature anymore, that’s a tougher question. We should all be able to live in a home we like. But, maybe we can find a way to make a small change, like paint, that will make the feature we don’t like more likable.
nina462 says
Good question. As I’ve mentioned before I wish I would’ve kept my original windows and had them rehab’d instead of replaced. Rehabbing would’ve been less expensive and had just the same energy efficiency as the new plastic framed windows. I miss the wood trim on the old windows and the crank out feature. However, I did save my original windows/fixtures and when I win the lottery I’ll have the reinstalled (so I tell myself).
I urge anyone who is thinking of replacing the windows – to investigate rehabing and saving the originals instead.
I love everything else about my house (except maybe some paint choices in a spare room and the black kitchen appliances – but those are easily fixable).
Good topic Pam.
oldgun31 says
first ,i want to know where that dumpster .
i wasn’t alive in the 1950’s but i wish i was.it was the last time we had hope .its like after ww2 we wanted to live in the future and just said ok its now the future so lets live like it. we live now with cars that look bland ,in the 50’s a car looked like a chrome covered jet. it was about fast not safe ,not economical or responsible. the women wanted to be Marilyn Monroe and stop traffic when they did the marketing for the week. it was red lips and curves. we where the good guys that saved the world and wanted the good fight .we had new ideas about sex and race and youth. now its sad and we are the bad guys and everyone and every thing is doomed . if people hang on to stuff that brings us back to how things are now .i think it would be downer things,like an old gas chamber or adds for antivirus software compare how meany people love the 30’s 0r 70’s to the amount who have a thing for the 50’s and 60’s . i have decided to live in the future of the 1950’s and forget about the depression part 2 we have going now.
vintigchik says
I love the 50s too but would only want to live back then if I were a man.
pam kueber says
I would not like to live in the 50s at all. See: https://retrorenovation.com/2009/05/17/10-reasons-im-glad-i-dont-live-in-the-50s/
AmyEbbertHill says
It’s not just the cars that are safer…We don’t have to deal with lead pipes or lead paint, or lead in our gasoline. Aluminum wiring is dangerous, and isn’t it nice to have insulation and central heat? I had to have the wiring fixed in my little house, as well as adding storm windows. Someone before me had the central heat/air installed, fortunately.
At some point in the little house’s history, someone “updated” by taking out the original doors with their solid brass hardware, and installed cheap luan doors. I would love to have those original doors back. Sigh.
Dan says
I think that when people get nostalgic about the 50’s, they confuse the “values” of that era with the underlying reason for the prosperity – a strong middle class.
My parents were both of the depression era: raised dirt poor, and then thrust into the war (dad as part of the army, mom as a war worker) . After the war, the GI Bill gave Dad a chance at an education – he became a lawyer for a major insurance company – and mom moved to “the phone company”, where she marched in the 1947 strike, and got Saturdays off ( previously, they worked until noon)
When they got married in 1952, Dad made enough so that mom didn’t have to work – even though he was helping – along with Social Security – to support his widowed mother and little brother.
They bought their house in 1962, again with the help of the GI bill. Originally, it was a two bedroom, one bathroom (with additional shower in the basement!). They raised us kids there (after putting a bedroom for us boys in the basement) and later added a garage and master bedroom with bath. Dad died there in 2005, and mom still lives there.
Dad’s pension and Social Security keeps mom with enough money to have a good life, and Medicare and Dad’s medical supplemental (as part of his retirement package) helped pay for dad’s final years and Mom’s bout with Lymphoma a few years back.
When Mom goes, there won’t be a big inheritance – only the good stable middle-class life we had growing up, and the college education they gave all of us at the good universities our state (Iowa) provides, but that’s a pretty good deal f you ask me.
And it was all built in the economic policies that supported a strong middle class in the post-war years.
Julie Miller says
I agree with you totally. In the 50’s and 60’s income inequality was at it’s lowest and the middle class thrived which is what brought about the progress we made with civil and women’s rights. My parents purchased wonderful furniture made in the USA which I still have today. Anyway it’s time to think about bringing those times back and OCCUPY!
BayBPrinsez says
agree with you re. the dumpster! unfortunate that the owner didn’t try to prevent this from ending up in landfill! am seriously thinking of getting black “cat suit” to prowl the dumpsters in my post-WWII neighborhood when I see them in front of a mid century house!